Mountain Top Wrestling Club Wins USA Wrestling-Utah Team State Championships

More than 400 wrestlers, ages four to seniors in high school, converged on Spanish Fork High School for the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, to compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.  This was also the first year team competition was held, recognizing team champions in both tournaments.  Sandy-based Mountain Top Wrestling Club set the bar in this, coming away with team championships in both styles.

"This was the first time USA Wrestling-Utah has had team competition in the two styles," said Mountain Top Coach Bill Kilpack, "and it was certainly exciting.  We had very strong competition team rosters, and everyone we had scoring team points for us really excelled.  I'm very proud of the guys and what they've accomplished.  This is a real testament to their hard work and dedication."

Mountain Top Wrestling Club earned 410 team points in the Greco-Roman tournament, outscoring the runner-up, Spanish Fork-based Diamondbacks, by 82 points. In the freestyle competition, the results were even more overwhelming, with Mountain Top earning 697 team points, outscoring runner-up Wasatch of Heber City by 173 points.

Between the two tournaments, Mountain Top wrestlers earned 28 individual titles, and four Outstanding Wrestler awards. This was the most Outstanding Wrestler awards of any club in the state.  The club also boasted 11 champions who were the best of the best in both styles.

"This was about as exciting a state tournament as I can remember," said Kilpack. "The character showed on the mat was outstanding. We pulled out some tough matches, beating some opponents who have beaten us all season, as well as preventing others from their attempts at upsets. It was really something to have so many of the kids recognized, and to have all that add up to having the program recognized as the best in the state in both styles."

The top five teams in the Greco-Roman tournament were Champion, Mountain Top Wrestling Club 410; Runner-Up Diamondbacks 328; Springville-based Champions Wrestling Club 292; North Ogden-based Warriors 178; and West Jordan-based Vandit Wrestling Club 166.

The top five teams in the freestyle tournament were Champion, Mountain Top Wrestling Club 697; Runner-Up Wasatch 524; Kaysville-based Elite Wrestling Team 508; Champions Wrestling Club 502; and Diamondbacks 418.

Outstanding Wrestlers named in the Greco-Roman tournament in each of the seven age divisions included Garrick Kilpack of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Flyweight (ages 6 and under); Seth Gardner of Wasatch, Bantam (ages 7 and 8); Grant LaMont of Champions, Novice (ages 11 and 12); Rasten Yeates of Brigham City-based Stingers, Schoolboy (ages 13 and 14); Tucker Ray of Elite, Cadet (ages 15 and 16); and Bracken Nipko of Warriors, Junior.

Outstanding Wrestlers named in the freestyle tournament in each of the seven age divisions included Blayze Keckler of the Logan Champs club of Logan, Flyweight; Cole Moody of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Bantam; Brigg Butler of Lehi-based Pioneers of Wrestling, Novice; Teddy Hackford of Vandit, Schoolboy; Raider Lofthouse of Elite, Cadet; and Clay Frost of Elite, Junior.

The only wrestler winning Outstanding Wrestler honors in both tournaments was Jordan McRae of Mountain Top Wrestling Club.  He was singled out for the Midget division (ages 9 and 10) on both days of competition.

Winning double titles in the Flyweight Division were two young athletes: Garrick Kilpack of Mountain Top Wrestling Club in the 40-pound weight class, and Carson Kay of Diamondbacks, in the 65-pound weight class.

Earning double titles in the Bantam Division were three wrestlers: Jed Lee of Mountain Top Wrestling Club in the 40-pound weight class; Cole Moody of Mountain Top Wrestling Club in the 55-pound weight class; and Parker Kay of Diamondbacks, in the 65-pound weight class.

Winning double titles in the Midget Division were 10 wrestlers: Coby Vandertoolen of Vandit, 50 lbs.; Taylor LaMont of Champions, 55 lbs.; Jordan McRae of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 60 lbs.; Addison Day of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 65 lbs.; Preston Stephenson of Wayne, 75 lbs.; Johnny O'Hearon of Price-based Carbon Raptors, 80 lbs.; Spencer Heywood of Wasatch, 95 lbs.; Jake Biesinger of Diamondbacks, 103 lbs.; Bryson Kimball of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 112 lbs.; and Gavin Krushensky of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 120+ lbs.

Earning double titles in the Novice Division were seven wrestlers: Skye Mackintosh, Pioneers of Wrestling, 60 lbs.; Kyler Machan, Pioneers of Wrestling, 65 lbs.; Grant LaMont, Champions, 80 lbs.; William Kilpack, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 90 lbs.; Jake Fassold, Wasatch, 95 lbs.; Nick Sorenson, Stingers, 105 lbs.; and Zayne Sayers, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 140 lbs.

Earning double titles in the Schoolboy Division were 11 wrestlers: Tyler Jensen, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 70 lbs.; Brandon George, Champions, 75 lbs.; Mitch Brown, Elite, 80 lbs.; Patrick Brock, Elite, 85 lbs.; Rasten Yeates, Stingers, 90 lbs.; Jacob Falk, Vandit, 95 lbs.; Jake Ribald, Vandit, 105 lbs.; Matt Tuttle, Elite, 110 lbs.; Teddy Hackford, Vandit, 115 lbs.; Austin Frazier, 120 lbs.; Jalen Weaver of St. George-based Team Extreme, 145 lbs.

Winning double titles in the Cadet Division were six wrestlers: Braxton Baglet, Vandit, 91 lbs.; Chasen Tolbert, Delta, 98 lbs.; Tucker Ray, Elite, 105 lbs.; Raider Lofthouse, Elite, 112 lbs.; Travis McRae, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 145 lbs.; and Ethen Lofthouse, Elite, 171 lbs.

Earning double titles in the Junior Division were four wrestlers: Bracken Nipko, Warriors, 119 lbs.; Nicko Paraso, Vandit, 125/130 lbs.; Clay Frost, Elite, 145 lbs.; and Adam Fager, Elite, 189 lbs.

Greco-Roman wrestlers winning single state titles included three Flyweights Jaxon Moore, TUG (Pleasant Grove), 45 lbs.; Connor Kinross, Champions, 50 lbs.; Christopher Smith, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 55 lbs.; three Bantams, Tyrell Barnett, Warriors, 45 lbs.; Seth Gardner, Wasatch, 50 lbs.; and Robbie Ballam, Logan Champs, 60 lbs.; one Midget, Hunter Vance, Diamondbacks, 70 lbs.; four Novices, Trent Kelly, Diamondbacks, 70 lbs.; Shand Hardy, Stingers, 75 lbs.; Dalton Harmon, Champions, 85 lbs.; and Tyson Brown, Pony Express (Hyrum), 130 lbs.; one Schoolboy, Mitch Kay, Diamondbacks, 100 lbs.; five Cadets, Trae Bennett, Elite, 119 lbs.; Spencer Brown, TAC (Salt Lake City), 125 lbs.; Derek Malan, Warriors, 130 lbs.; Brayden Anderson, Catz Freestyle (Richmond), 140 lbs.; and Jordan Ballam, Logan Champs, 160 lbs.; and two Juniors, Collin Grant, Vandit, 140 lbs.; and Monte Schmalhaus, Team Tooele (Tooele), 160 lbs.

Freestyle wrestlers winning single state titles included four Flyweights Blayze Keckler, Logan Champs, 35 lbs.; Jefferson Harbaugh, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 45 lbs.; Mason Christianson, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 50 lbs.; and Keller Rock, Champions, 55 lbs.; six Bantams, Jordan Harbaugh, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 45 lbs.; Corbin Smith, Wasatch, 50 lbs.; DeeLynn Miller, Delta, 70 lbs.; Ajax Revels, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 75 lbs.; and Parker Davis, Wayne, 75+ lbs.; two Midgets, Tayler Johnson, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, 70 lbs.; and Tayven Dilleshaw, Rocky Mountain Wrestling (Orem), 87 lbs.; five Novices, Chris Wengreen, Pony Express, 70 lbs.; Brigg Butler, Pioneers of Wrestling, 75 lbs.; Branson Ashworth, Diamondbacks, 85 lbs.; Joshua Kasanicky, Rocky Mountain Wrestling, 130 lbs.; and Thomas Ericson, Morgan (Morgan), 140+ lbs.; three Schoolboys, Nathan Evans, Delta, 100 lbs.; Nicholas Runyan, Brighton (Salt Lake City), 125 lbs.; and Wyatt Martinez, Carbon Raptors, 130 lbs.; eight Cadets, Koleton Hardy, Stingers, 119 lbs.; Brock Brown, Elite, 125 lbs.; Nolan Haycock, Diamondbacks, 130 lbs.; Dakota Payne, Diamondbacks, 135 lbs.; Dustin Jenkins, Champions, 140 lbs.; Cole Evans, Wasatch, 160 lbs.; Hayden Snow, Pony Express, 189 lbs.; and Daniel Crook, Stingers, 215 lbs.; and eight Juniors, Kolton Cheney, Vandit, 98 lbs.; Nick Flores, Elite, 130 lbs.; Paul Johnson, Rocky Mountain Wrestling, 130 lbs.; Daniel Goode, Team Tooele, 152 lbs.; Skyler Porter, Wasatch, 160 lbs.; and Brett Kendrick, Champions, 171 lbs.